Timor-Leste Leaders Highlight PDIP's Historic Role in Democratic Struggle

Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta, Vice Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, and Senior Adviser Nelson Santos have highlighted the historical record and legacy of PDI Perjuangan (PDIP) as an epicentre of democratic struggle whose influence has been felt as far as Timor-Leste. The statements were made after the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the nation’s highest honour, was awarded to Indonesia’s fifth President, Megawati Soekarnoputri, in Dili on Thursday, 9 July 2026. José Ramos-Horta stated that Megawati’s long history of struggle cannot be separated from PDI Perjuangan. He specifically pointed to a dark event during the New Order era as a turning point that matured the party’s political struggle in Indonesia. “The 27 July 1996 attack on the PDI headquarters was a defining moment. The violence of that day transformed Ibu Megawati into the most prominent civilian symbol of democratic resistance, from which the Reformasi movement was later born,” Ramos-Horta said on Friday, 10 July 2026. He assessed that the incident became a strong foundation for the birth of PDI Perjuangan as a political force fighting for the sovereignty of the people. Vice Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay also provided an emotional testimony regarding the resilience and political maturity of PDIP. As someone who lived through the period when Timor-Leste was still part of Indonesia, Kalbuadi admitted he knows firsthand the dynamics and the weight of the struggle faced by the bull-headed party under the pressure of the ruling regime. “For PDI Perjuangan, I experienced it myself and know because at that time we were still together with Indonesia. I know how hardworking and patient a mother was, waiting for the moment when the people would realise that truth is everything,” said Chico, Kalbuadi Lay’s nickname. Meanwhile, Senior Adviser to the President of Timor-Leste, Nelson Santos, underlined the institutional role of PDIP in the regional political landscape of Southeast Asia. According to Nelson, the PDIP institution possesses a very rich historical value and serves as a model for countries that are newly building their democratic systems, such as Timor-Leste. “PDI Perjuangan as a party has a long history. A party that has witnessed and guided the democratic transition in Indonesia,” Nelson Santos said. Nelson assessed that PDIP’s experience in guiding Indonesia’s democratic transition from an authoritarian regime to a more open and stable system is a significant one. Therefore, he said Timor-Leste holds PDIP in high regard and wishes to learn from the party’s experience in building democracy. “For us in Timor-Leste, there are certainly many things we can learn from PDI Perjuangan. And we will certainly utilise the history or experience of PDI Perjuangan for the advancement of our own democracy,” he stated. Through Megawati’s presence in Dili, the leaders of Timor-Leste are confident that bilateral relations between Indonesia and Timor-Leste will improve in quality, both at the governmental level and through party communication channels such as PDIP. “It will continue to move forward on one main path: the path of friendship, reconciliation, and commitment to maintaining international peace,” Nelson concluded.